After All
by MsRainey
Summary: Zack x Tifa. AU. Sometimes it takes a bad day to lead to a good one. A "thank you" for Valentine'sNinja.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII

**A/N:** Okay, here's a fic I did for the most coolestness person **Valentine'sNinja**. I figured since I'm always requesting stories and shit, I might as well return the favor with her fav pairing, right? I hope you all enjoy it. As most of you may know, I am a _die hard _Cloti fan, so this was a bit of a challenge for me to write and I just hope it came out alright. **_No flaming!_**

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Tifa grumbled angrily and slammed her locker shut, then threw her scrubs in her bag before stomping up to the Hospital's lobby.

She looked at her fellow nurses, and spotted her best friend sorting through some patient's files. "Yuffie!" She called out grabbing her attention.

The younger woman ran over to the counter, worry and concern etching her face. "Hey. You okay?"

Tifa shrugged, and looked down. "Yeah, I'm fine... I already got accepted to the Edge Hospital across town, so it doesn't really matter. By the way, remind me to thank Aeris with a crazy girl's night."

Yuffie shrugged. "No problem. Aeris is a great Chief of Medicine, so it's a good thing we know her. Plus, after my summer training here, I'm totally going over there with you guys."

There was a small, uncomfortable silence before Yuffie spoke again.

"Sooo... what did Cloud say?" She murmured.

Tifa frowned, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "He said that a few drunken nights shouldn't be the reason for giving up such a good job. I told him it wasn't such a great job, and he was bad in bed."

Yuffie laughed out loud at the last part, having Tifa release a small smile of her own. "I'd better go. My new shift starts at 4 tomorrow morning."

Yuffie smiled, and threw herself across the counter to hug Tifa fully. "I'll call you tomorrow. Oh, and you should really change. You know how bad these stupid summer storms are, and here you are parading around in a skirt and white button up blouse. Seriously, Teef."

"I'm fine. Oh, do you need a ride later?" Tifa asked, before she turned to leave.

Yuffie waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, Vince is picking me up. Thanks though."

"Bye, Yuffie."

"See ya, Teef!"

-

-

Tifa was trying to get her truck to speed up, before a loud clanking sound erupted from it, along with some sputtering, and finally coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road.

"You have _got_ to be shitting me." She muttered, before hitting her head against the steering wheel.

"Ugh! Stupid piece of junk!" She yelled, hitting the wheel, before jumping from the horn noise that emitted from it, accidentally.

She got out of the truck and angrily slammed the door, before groaning at the sight of a smoking engine. She was also now soaked.

She looked up to the sky in exasperation, then lividly kicked her tire. "You stupid truck! I knew I should have left you in that junk yard!"

True, she was probably acting like Yuffie right now, but she had had a pretty shitty week.

"Something wrong?" A voice interrupted in her one sided ranting.

Tifa didn't even turn to regard the voice, but was so mad at nothing and everything at the moment, she just spilled.

"I'll tell you what's wrong! Two weeks ago, I slept with my boss, then he blew me off after the 5th time saying 'I had fun, but you deserve more', then I forgot to pay my light bill, so I don't have any electricity, and then it rains on my one day off that I have to collect my stuff from work, _then_, my stupid car breaks down_ in_ the rain!"

She finally turned around to meet eyes so deep blue, they were almost violet. They held much amusement and she wondered if she should be angry or blush at the fact he's so incredibly _hot_.

He walked up to her, and stood next to her, shielding her from the rain with his umbrella. "That sucks."

She looked at him incredulously. Seriously, was this guy trying to be charming? Because he really sucked at it.

He dug in his vest pocket and pulled out a flower then handed it to her. "Here."

She stared at it, eyes wide. "What?"

He chuckled, "It's my mom's birthday. I was actually on my way there. She likes flowers and all that girly stuff, but I think you need it more. Take it."

She numbly grabbed the delicate lily from him and tentatively sniffed it. It had a very subtle, but nice smell. "Thank you." She said, sincerely, tucking it behind her ear.

Garnet eyes met blue, and she felt her heartbeat quicken when he smiled widely. "I should be thanking you."

She narrowed her eyes curiously. "Why's that?"

He shrugged, "I've always wanted to rescue a beautiful woman."

Tifa blushed and looked down. Maybe he was charming after all...

"Not to be forward, but would you like a ride home? As much as I love standing in the rain, you or I could get sick and wouldn't want that now, would we?"

Tifa frowned. "But what about my truck?"

The man ran a hand through his spiky raven locks, "Hmm.. Oh! My friend Cid owns a towing company. I can give him a call if you want."

Tifa smiled shyly. "Thanks, that's very sweet of you."

He shrugged and led her to his car. She stopped before he opened the door for her and narrowed her eyes at him. "If you try anything though, just know, I'm a superior in martial arts and won't hesitate to kick your ass, or anything else around that area." She told him pointedly.

He held his hand in mock surrender and laughed. "Hey! I'm not like that!"

"Let's hope not." She stated, getting into the nice car and finally out of the rain.

When he reached her apartment, he smiled that charming, gorgeous smile at her and held his hand out for her.

She grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. "Thank you for the ride...um.."

"Zack. Zack Fair. And it was no problem. You can make it up by going to dinner tomorrow night with me."

She raised a brow at him in amusement. "You don't even know my name."

"I know it must be a beautiful name to match a beautiful face." He said, grinning cheekily.

She blushed and scoffed. "Flattery will get you nowhere." Her eyes had a certain sparkle in them to confirm she was teasing, causing him to chuckle.

After a moment's hesitation, she pulled out a paper and pen from her purse and wrote something down. What the hell. He seemed genuinely nice and what would it hurt?

She handed it to him, and smirked before climbing out of the car. Her upper body was still leaning in the open car door, and she looked him square in the eye. "By the way, it's Tifa. My name's Tifa." She said, before closing the door and running up to her apartment.

"Tifa," he repeated, letting the name roll smoothly through his lips. Looking at the number written on the paper, Zack shook his head and chuckled, before watching her disappear into her home.

Today had gone good after all...

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_Remember, no flaming! They make me sad... :( Hope you enjoyed it, Jo! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, or Casablanca**

**A/N: Yay! Next chappie! Hope I kept them in character! Thank you reviewers, enjoy!! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I'm sick and tired so I'm pretty much in a bleh sort of mood.  
**

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Tifa glanced at the clock again, getting one of the interns to look at her.

"You know," The intern said, causing Tifa to look at her. "You seem to be pretty distracted. You okay?"

Tifa chuckled and didn't take her eyes off of the insulin she was filling up. "Yeah. Just work, stress, the whole thing, you know."

The intern seemed satisfied that someone had actually talked to her and resumed listening to Doctor Crescent.

"Now," The doctor started, "This patient is suffering from heart failure. However, there are no signs of any internal dysfunction or diseases or any family history that leads to any heart problems. The problem is, we don't have a diagnosis, which means that if this does not get treated soon, she _will_ die."

Tifa's brows furrowed. This woman was going to die because a group of doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her?

She walked behind Dr. Crescent and discreetly eyed the chart she was holding. Everything on there gave no indication of why this healthy woman was going to die of heart failure.

Tifa stayed while the group of interns dispersed, and watched as the patient twirled the sheets lazily with her fingers. What caught Tifa's eye, however, was the large diamond ring on her left hand. _But her chart said she was single._

"Hi," Tifa smiled gently at the woman.

The woman looked up surprised and tucked a piece of her short blond hair behind her ear. "Hello." She said quietly.

Tifa walked over to her and did her task, handing her two pills and sticking the insulin into her IV insertion point. "Here, this will help with the headache."

The woman nodded gratefully and swallowed the pills. "My name's Elena. Elena Hisamu."

Tifa smiled, and shook her hand. "Tifa Lockhart... that's a beautiful ring."

Elena frowned and looked down. "Thank you. I... my husband Tseng bought it for me."

Tifa knew she was treading a touchy subject and was relieved when Aeris called her over. "It was nice meeting you, Elena. I'll see you tomorrow."

She ran up to Aeris. "Yes, Dr. Gainsborough?"

Aeris waved her hand dismissively and smiled. "I feel like I'm 50 when you call me that, Tifa. Just call me Aeris."

Tifa nodded. "What's up?"

"You've got a call."

Tifa blinked in surprise and instantly got worried that it was Yuffie. She ran to the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"_Hey, you're there!" _

Tifa frowned. The voice sounded familiar... "Um-"

"_Aw, don't tell me you don't remember me!" _

Tifa instantly smiled and sat next to the keyboard. "Hello, Zack."

"_I knew you'd remember me!"_ He laughed on the other line.

Tifa frowned suddenly. "Wait, how did you get this number? I just gave you the number to my cell." Her voice leaked with suspicion and her eyes suddenly narrowed curiously.

"_It wasn't easy, let me tell you." _He chuckled. _"At first I called your cell and no one answered, but after a couple tries, some girl named Yuffie answered it. She gave me the number of another woman named Aeris, who then gave me your desk number." _

Tifa let out a breathless laugh. "You.. you did all of that just to call me?" She asked quietly.

"_Of course. Besides, you do owe me a date." _She could practically feel him smirk.

"Hmm.. I suppose you're right. It's five now, and I get off of work in a half an hour. How about you pick me up at seven?"

"_No problem! I'll see you then, Tifa!" _

"Wait! Should I dress casual? Formal? Where are we going?" She asked hastily.

"_No need to be all formal. But wear something nice. It's a surprise where we're going." _He said, amusement apparent in his voice.

The next thirty minutes passed unbearably slow. And when the clock struck her last shift minute, she dashed out of the Hospital doors and ran to her newly fixed truck and drove home.

When she got to her apartment, Yuffie was lying on the couch, eating out of a tub of ice cream. Tifa stopped her hurry immediately. "Yuffie, what's wrong?" She asked, sitting next to her friend.

Yuffie sniffed. "It's Vincent."

Tifa bit her lip. She knew Yuffie was irrevocably in love with the man. "What happened?" Tifa asked gently, laying a hand on Yuffie's knee.

"He told me he _slept_ with another woman!" She yelled, setting the ice cream down and staring venomously at it, as though it were Vincent himself. "Can you believe that!? That jerk actually had the nerve to tell me her name, too!! A stupid name at that. _Lucrecia. _What kind of name is that anyway!?"

Tifa frowned. "Wait..." She started. "Lucrecia Crescent?"

Yuffie's eyes snapped to hers. "You know her?"

"She works at the Hospital." Tifa told her, unsure of how the news would hit her young friend.

Yuffie smiled wickedly. "I cannot **wait **until summer ends."

"You know what," Tifa said, "We're going to the store and buying a heap of junk food. Then we're going to watch tons of movies where guys get their asses kicked, _then_ we're going to throw some eggs into Vincent's vents! Just let me call Zack first and cancel our da-"

"What!?" Yuffie yelled. "As much fun as that sounds Tifa, there are plenty moments to get fat off of ice cream. Go on your date! I'm not taking no for an answer! I'll be fine, I swear. But, don't expect there to be anymore oreos when you come back."

Tifa bit her lip. "Are you sure?"

Yuffie rolled her watery eyes and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure. Now get ready! I'll be fine."

-

-

After 20 minutes of debating on what to wear, Tifa just put on a pair of dark jeans accompanied by a silk tank, that enhanced her already defined curves, and a pair of black stilettos.

The front door was knocked upon, and Yuffie ran to open it. "Tifa! Your date's here!" She called out, then gestured Zack to come inside.

When Tifa appeared, he refrained from having his jaw dropped.

"Damn Tifa! You look hot!" Yuffie called out from the couch, distracted shortly from watching her movie, _Casablanca_.

Zack nodded, "What she said."

Tifa blushed slightly. "Thanks."

She grabbed her purse and her phone from the foyer table and turned toward the area where Yuffie was moping around. "Yuffie.."

The younger woman waved her off. "I'm fine, Tifa. Go have fun."

Tifa sighed. "I'll call you later. Don't wait up."

With that, the two walked out the door.

"Is..." Zack started, opening the car door for Tifa. "Is your roommate okay? She looked pretty bad when she answered the door."

Tifa frowned. "She just found out her boyfriend slept with another woman. She's heartbroken." The words clicked in Tifa's mind, and she suddenly began thinking.

_Heart failure... heartbroken... single... husband..._

"He's dead!" She suddenly burst out, startling Zack.

"What!?" He asked, taking his eyes off the road to look at her.

"Hold on," She told him as she dug in her purse. She pulled out her phone and dialed the Aeris' work number at the Hospital.

"Aeris! Hey, it's Tifa. Listen, Lucrecia's patient, Elena Hisamu. Her chart stated that she said she was single, but she told me she was married to a man named Tseng Hisamu, she even wears her wedding ring. Don't you see? Her husband died and her heart is failing from Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy _**a.k.a**_, heartbreak!"

"_You're sure about this? There could be some information wrong. We must have all facts before we try and treat her for a diagnosis she may very well not even have."_ Aeris told her.

"I'm positive, Aeris. She has no history of any heart related diseases and she's extremely healthy, excluding her heart failure. It's because of her husband's death that she's even admitted in there. Tell Dr. Crescent to test her for Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy."

There was shuffling from the other line. _"Alright, I've just paged Lucrecia. I'll get one of the interns to look over her charts one more time for any information we might have overlooked. You know, you should become a doctor, Tifa." _

Said woman laughed. "I'm fine just being a nurse, Aer. Call me when you get the results, okay?"

"_You've got it." _

"Oh, and keep an eye on Crescent. I'll give you the scoop later." She added acidly.

"_Ooh, gossip! I love it! Call me later, I've gotta go." _

"Bye,"

"_Bye, hon!" _

Tifa closed her phone and stuffed it in her purse. "Um, sorry about that."

Zack looked at her with a large smile. "Wow."

"What?" She asked, becoming self conscious.

"You're like a superhero." He said, blue eyes glowing.

"What?" Tifa asked, a incredulous smile spreading on her face.

"You save lives. You're really smart. _And_ you're gorgeous." He said, shaking his head with a smile. "I have to say, I'm a little intimidated."

Tifa laughed heartily at his confession, which, in turn, made Zack laugh. She had a beautiful laugh, he thought and he wanted to hear more of it.

"What did I tell you about flattery?" She asked between giggles.

He chuckled, and pointed to the resturaunt they were not parking in front of. Tifa eyed the beautiful building with wide eyes.

"Well," Zack said, opening her door, "Let's get moving, shall we?"

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**No flaming, kthnxbye!  
**

**Thanks to: Valentine'sNinja, luneress, kyokoaurora, fickledfuddledwords. You all are awesome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII**

**A/N: I am really insecure about this whole fic, to be perfectly honest. I feel like the characters are totally OOC, my writing is probably at its worst, and I am totally sucking at being entertaining! But, basically I'm doing this for you, Jo, and if you like it, I like it. If you want, you can tell me if I need to improve on working on my ZacTi or give me a thumbs up to move on. Anyway, I'm very thankful for the reviews you readers have been giving me. I'm glad you don't feel like my writing is a flop. :D Thank you, and here's a new chapter!**

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The place Zack had chosen to dine was a lively steak house, with a bar and all the like.

Tifa smiled when Zack held out her chair for her. "Thank you." She giggled, seeing his trademark and endearing smirk grace his features once again. It seemed that she got used to seeing it on him.

He sat himself in front of her and they ordered their drinks when the waitress came around. After small chit chat, the two got their beverages and Tifa decided to get the conversation past the pointless 'introductions'.

"So," She started, taking a sip of her beer. "What do you do?"

Zack rubbed his chin and leaned back into his chair. "Hmm, you know, I don't really know what you'd label my career as."

Tifa frowned and cocked her head to the side, cutely. "Why not?"

His eyes snapped to hers. "Well, I work for a man named Reeve. He's commissioner of an organization called WRO. You've heard of them, haven't you?"

Tifa ran the name through her head a few times and tried to place where she'd heard of it before. It _was_ familiar...

"Oh!" She cried, eyes going wide. "The organization that keeps Midgar safe and all that."

Zack chuckled and ran a gloved hand through his ebony spikes. "Yeah, I guess that's a good way of describing it."

Tifa smiled, but was disturbed when her phone began to ring. She looked at the caller id and scowled, before shoving the electronic back into her purse.

Zack raised an eyebrow, amused. "Someone you don't like?"

"Not at the moment." She nodded to her purse, "That's my roommate's boyfriend. Or, rather her _ex_ boyfriend."

"Ah," He said quietly, in understanding. "The cheater."

"Yep."

Her phone rang again, and Zack smiled at her when she glared at her bag. "Just answer it. Maybe it's important."

Tifa offered him a small smile in gratitude, and flipped the phone open. "What?"

"_Tifa," Vincent's smooth voice carried through. _

"There had better be an important reason for calling me." She said, already feeling anger toward the man that hurt her friend.

_He sighed. "Is Yuffie with you?" _

Tifa grimaced. "No, she's not. Why do you want to talk to her? I'm fairly certain your actions told her all she needs to know."

"_It's not what it seems like. Yuffie didn't tell you the whole story, I presume." _

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know, Vincent, it doesn't matter what the story is, cheating is just not acceptable; at all, no questions asked. If you're so desperate to talk to Yuffie, you'll find a way to do it. I'm busy right now, and in all honesty, I'm not about to play yo-yo with you guys because you screwed up and lost yourself a hell of a woman." With that, she hung up and looked into a pair of heated blue eyes.

"You are _very_ hot." Zack told her, grinning widely when she blushed.

"Stop embarrassing me, Zack!" She said sternly, a bit of mock anger in her words.

Their food arrived and they spent the next few hours talking and laughing over childhood memories, embarrassing stories, and personal events that had occurred in their lives.

She had found out that Zack was an only child, like her, and loved animals. He was allergic to peanuts and bees, and had stitches on his face by a pointless and careless incident that had happened when he was younger, creating a scar that looked like an 'X'.

Zack was amazed by the woman in front of him. He had found out that Tifa had set her best friend Yuffie on the right track, taking her in when she had been a homeless thief at the age of 14, and providing her with an education, a home and later, helping her get the job she had now. She had also told him that when her mother passed away, she felt like she could have prevented it, thus, giving her the inspiration to become a nurse and save other people; to save other mother's and return them safely to their families.

He'd only met her a few days, yet, he somehow felt like they just _clicked_.

Tifa felt the same way. It wasn't love. Not yet, anyway, but the attraction they both felt was just too strong to be ignored or denied.

"You really are a superhero." Zack told her, opening her car door.

She climbed in and smiled at him. "I'm not, trust me. If you want to see superheroes, go to a Hospital."

Zack scoffed, "Not all doctor's are superheroes, Teef."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "I'm not talking about the Doctor's, or the nurses."

Zack felt confusion cloud his mind. "Uh,"

"The patients, Zack." She explained, as if she were talking to a child. "Just to know and feel that you're sick, suffering, or might be dying, and still fighting for life..." She trailed off, a distant look in her eyes. "They're the superheroes, not me."

Zack glanced away from the road and felt his heart constrict at her words. This must have been the most selfless, deep woman he'd ever known. After that, he kept his eyes on the road, and the talk back to her apartment had been nice and simple. When he pulled up in front of her place, he looked at her and admired her natural beauty.

"I had fun tonight," She said, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Thank you."

The corners of his mouth lifted considerably. "I should be thanking you. It's not everyday a beautiful little thing, such as yourself, goes out to a bar and eats a hunkful of meat and drinks beer."

Tifa laughed. "Hm, I thought guys liked women who ate rice cakes and drank water."

Zack scrunched his nose. "No way. I like a woman who can eat."

"Well, you won't go wrong in this area then." She chuckled, getting him to laugh as well.

"So," He said leaning a little closer to her. "We should do this again."

Tifa released a breath and composed herself. "We'll see."

He frowned, but cracked a smile when he realized she was just teasing. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

She nodded. Quickly, she leaned up to him and pressed a peck on his lips, before dashing out of the car with a rushed, "Goodbye".

He was still leaning into the almost, somewhat, kinda kiss(?), when he sunk back into conscious. With a chuckle, he started the car and headed home. He noticed with slight surprise and a tiny bit of pleasure that his stomach felt a little jittery.

What was this woman capable of doing if a little peck had him on edge?

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No flaming! Hope you liked it :D


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII

A/N: Sorry if it sucks. Forgive the errors. Love you reviewers!

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Two weeks later, Tifa found herself antsy to get out of work again. It wasn't the fact that she had a breakfast date with Zack in the morning, but rather, she had a dinner date with Yuffie and Aeris tonight. It'd been a while since they had hung out.

She jumped at her desk when her cell phone vibrated loudly. With deft fingers, she idly picked up the electronic and found her face break out into a large smile.

_Looking forward to seeing your beautiful face in the morning – Zack _

Tifa rolled her eyes, but felt her heart clench at his cheesy, but sweet, words. Biting her lip, she text back quickly. _Flatterer! Can't wait to see you.. :) - Tifa _

She fought from smiling too widely because Aeris was now walking toward her, and if anyone would tease her endlessly it would be her or Yuffie.

Her phone vibrated again, and she quickly read it before stuffing it into her purse. _Me too. Call you later cause Reeve is giving me the evil eye, meaning my ass is grass if I slack. See you later, beautiful. - Zack _

"So," Aeris drawled out, leaning over the desk. "Where are we going tonight?"

Tifa smiled at her and put some files away while answering. "Yuffie and I were thinking about that new Steak house that just opened up. You up for it?"

"Definitely. I'll meet you in a half an hour at the car." She said while reading her pager that beeped and running off with a quick 'see you later'.

The ride to the apartment wasn't nearly as long as the last 30 minutes of Tifa's shift were. Lucky for them, both Tifa and Aeris were glad their shifts had been taken over so they could enjoy a friday night out.

After picking Yuffie up, the three girls arrived at the steak house and, at once, began catching up.

"So, what's going on with you and Vincent, Yuff?" Aeris asked, immediately getting down to business.

Yuffie bit her lip and played with the hem of her tight fitted belly shirt. "Well," She began, "It's really complicated."

Tifa leaned forward, as well as Aeris. "Go on." She signaled with her hand to continue.

"Okay, so about two weeks ago, he told me he slept with that girl at your guys' work, but I guess it was because I had broken it off with him a couple hours before, and he went to the bar with his friend to sulk and ended up getting drunk, which led to.. you know. So, the other day, he calls me and tells me that he loves me and will do whatever it takes to win my trust and love back. Might I add he told me this over the intercom at the hospital."

Aeris clapped her hands together and smiled. "Oh, how romantic!"

Tifa gawked. "What!? Aeris, he cheated on her!"

She grimaced, "Not necessarily. They were broken up, and he was drunk! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to let him run into open arms- let him work for it- but Vincent really does love you, Yuffie. Everyone has their problems, but what matters is how we handle them that decides the ultimate decision in the end."

Tifa frowned at Yuffie. "Wait, why did you break up with him in the first place?"

Yuffie looked down again, and took a deep breath. "Well..."

The two other women leaned forward involuntarily. "- He... he asked me to marry him." She whispered.

Aeris sat back quickly in shock while Tifa's jaw dropped.

"What!?!" They both shouted together.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Yes, he asked me to marry him, proposed, the whole enchilada! Jeez! And to be frank, he didn't really even 'propose'; more like simply added marriage to the conversation as if it had already been discussed." She finished with a snort.

Aeris patted her hand sympathetically. "Don't worry, even Sephiroth didn't propose right."

Tifa folded her arms and shifted her view to light haired brunette. "You know, it's been a year since you two got engaged. When are you going to actually set a date?"

Aeris sighed and looked down at her engagement ring with a longing stare. "Who knows anymore..."

Tifa felt the need to cheer up her two best friends so she shifted to a random subject. "You know," She started. "I've always wondered why chocobos are called chocobos. I mean, seriously, what kind of stupid name is that? They could have named them something better like mammoth or gargantuan bird! Well, the first one is taken and the second was pretty lame, but-"

Yuffie slapped a hand over mouth. "Oh my gosh, sometimes I think your rambling gets you even more talkative than me, and that's scary!"

Tifa mock glared and pried the hand off her face, then stuck her tongue out at Aeris when she giggled.

"So tell me more about this Zack character!" Aeris chirped, after the few had shared a few moments laughing.

Tifa blushed. "I- Nothing, just a few dates here and there."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and looked at Aeris dryly, while he voice was thick with amusement and mock disinterest. "He's picked her up every night for the past fourteen days."

Tifa narrowed her eyes at the younger woman. "Traitor!"

Yuffie shrugged and took a large bite out of her steak.

Aeris smiled at Tifa lightly. "I hope things work out for you Tifa. You know Yuffie and I want to see you happy."

The raven haired woman chuckled. "Thank you guys." With a whisper, she added, "I hope things work out for me, too."

* * *

Ugh! I really tried to keep them in character, so sorry if it's coming out retardando! Please please please forgive me! Thank you reviewers! You rock! :D Jo, hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII**

**A/N: Okay, so sorry Jo for the long update! Anyhoo hope you guys enjoy this short chappy and thank you reviewers! :D I love you guys, like for real! **

* * *

A few months had passed and things had changed for Tifa in a good way. Yuffie was being transferred to her hospital in the upcoming week, and her and Zack had been officially boyfriend and girlfriend for over two months.

Getting ready, Tifa wondered idly if tonight she would take their relationship to the next level or not. "Yuffie?" She called out.

The younger women jogged up to her room and leaned up against Tifa's doorway. "What's up, Teef?"

Adjusting her rather low cut top, Tifa bit her lip. "I need your insight..."

"On your outfit? Looks hot to me."

"No, but thank you. Uh, how long was it before you and Vincent got... you know, intimate?" She asked forcing down a blush. Sure, she had slept with men before, but Zack was different, and she didn't want to ruin what they had by sex.

Yuffie cocked a brow, causing her friend to blush. "We did it on the first date."

Tifa's jaw dropped getting Yuffie to laugh and finger her engagement band. "Don't act so surprised. You do know this is me we're talking about."

Tifa chuckled. "Hm, I guess you're right... I just..."

"Look babe, if the time is right, you'll feel it." Yuffie said, throwing her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Now get out of here!"

-

-

Zack and Tifa walked out of the bar, his arm resting on her shoulders. "I have never been more attracted to you then I am now!" he laughed.

Tifa blushed slightly. "Well, that guy deserved it! This ass is not for grabs by strangers."

Zack's blue eyes stared into hers as he pressed her up against his car. "Oh, and what about people who aren't strangers?" He asked, running his hands down her waist and onto her hips.

She ground her hips against his involuntarily, causing a delightful grunt from him. "Hmm.." she murmured, "I don't see the problem in that."

Not able to suppress his desire for her, he kissed her hard and passionately, trapping her between his solid hot body and the cold metal of the car.

Tifa was lost in his kiss and was hardly aware of the fact she was practically grabbing on to every part of him she could manage to stay upright. Her thinking process in disarray, she managed to gasp out, "I love you."

Zack broke the kiss and stared into her beautiful mahogany eyes, replaying the words she had spoken to him merely seconds before, before replying. "I love you, too, Tifa. I love you, too."

With this new found declaration, they both immediately raced to his place to act out on these words.

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No flamage! Thanks! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII**

**A/N: I AM SOOOO SORRY! Believe it or not, this frickin chapter took me a month to write! I've been so busy with a family emergency last month that I just haven't had time to write or update! Please forgive me! Again, terribly sorry! Thank you reviewers, and Jo, so so so sorry for the extremly long update! **

**P.S. Final chapter for_ Excuse Me, I love You_ should be posted soon! **

**Last chapter, enjoy!** Oh, and if there are any mistakes, forgive me, I don't have much time to edit.

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It had been eight months since Tifa and Zack said "I love you," and she was still walking on clouds.

"-and then, yeah, I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Tifa snapped out of her daydreaming and looked at Dr. Rui's very talkative patient with a tiny smile. He had been replaying, calmly might she add, how a certain bullet had ended up in his foot.

"Mr....? Mr. Reno, that's a fascinating story; however, I'm here to do my job, not listen to your misfortunate 'coincidental' accident. I've already given you your necessities to heal, and we just need to keep you in for a day or two to see how you're recovering." With that, Shalua nodded at Tifa and left with the only sound of her coat swooshing in the room.

Tifa tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled, while making sure the patient was comfortable and stable. She looked up when he whistled.

"She's a fiery one, eh?"

She laughed slightly. "Take it easy there, stud, she's married... happily, might I add."

He frowned. "Damn, all the hot ones are taken. What about you?"

Tifa raised her brow and nodded. "Sorry, taken."

Reno nodded. "They always are. Got any hot nurses here you could hook me up with?"

She took in his appearance: Fire red hair pulled up in a ponytail, scars across his cheeks and a killer smile. The total bad boy image. "You know, I know just the girl."

After playing matchmaker with her friend Valerie and a patient, Tifa skipped to her computer to finish up some work. However, a loud row caught her attention and steered her toward the unmistakable voices of Yuffie Valentine and Lucrecia Crescent.

"-dropped the IV, how unprofessional, Kisaragi." Lucrecia sneered.

Yuffie smiled viciously. "It's Valentine now."

At Lucrecia's dumbfounded expression, she continued, "Oh! Did we forget to invite you to the wedding? How forgetful of Vincent; I told him to tell you. Don't worry, you'll be the first on our baby shower invite! And for the record, you intentionally knocked the needle out of my hand, therefore gravity did its job and caused it to fall... Can you comprehend that or should I write it down?"

Tifa bit her lip and tried not to smile.

With a screech Lucrecia turned her heel and stomped down the corridor and vanished from their sight. Tifa cleared her throat at the small crowd forming. "Uh, nothing to see here! People are dying, go save them!"

A few minutes of things settling, Tifa chuckled and watched Yuffie smile warmly at a patient and insert a fresh IV. When she was done they walked together to the elevators to end their shifts. "I swear, Yuffie." Tifa laughed.

Yuffie shrugged. "Bitch needed someone to put her in her place."

"I hope you add me as second to your baby shower invite." Tifa teased, running a hand over her friend's barely flat stomach.

"Of course!" Yuffie scoffed.

The two waited for the elevator to open and both pairs of eyebrows raised when it dinged and the doors slid open.

In front of them Sephiroth had a very breathless Aeris pressed up against the wall with his hand under her shirt and silver hair falling down his back. Aeris squeaked when she saw her two friends grinning madly at her.

With amazing speed, she pushed her fiance away and straightened up. "Hey guys, I was just on my way to..."

"Fuck your boyfriend in an elevator?" Yuffie snickered.

Aeris blushed crimson and Sephiroth looked quite smug. "A pity you two had to ruin it." He stated calmly.

Tifa pinched Yuffie's arm in a gesture that told her friend she was trying not to laugh. The way down to the first floor was far too long and Yuffie and Tifa barely kept the laughter through their goodbye's to the couple before bursting out the entrance in a mass of laughter.

A few minutes after laughing and regaining their composure, Tifa walked her friend to her car. "See ya tomorrow, Yuff."

Yuffie grinned at her. "Give Zack a hug for me and tell him morning sickness sucks so please use protection."

Tifa blushed. "You're such a nut!"

Yuffie shrugged. "You love me anyway."

"I do."

"Sure you don't need a ride?"

Tifa nodded. "Zack should be here any second, but thanks."

"Anytime. Bye, Teef, love ya." With a wave she was off.

Tifa sat at a bench nearby and looked up at the stars. A noise next to her brought her vision back down and she mentally gasped when she saw Zack a few feet away from her, looking nervous with a handful of lilies. "Zack," She whispered, breathless.

"Tifa, let me talk, okay?"

She nodded absently, accepting the flowers and clutching them tenderly.

He ran a hand through his raven locks and fidgeted, "Tifa, you are the most amazing woman I've ever come to meet and love. I hate to say I've been whipped, but I think I have. You could tell me to do anything, no matter how insane, and I know in a second I'd do it, just to make you happy. We haven't been together that long, but it feels like I've known you forever,"

"-Zack," She whispered again, touched and equally thrilled by his sweet words.

He held up a hand, "Please, let me finish."

She nodded.

"I... I love you, Tifa Lockhart, and I never want to love another woman in my whole existence. Call it sappy, but whatever, I will be sappy and okay with it as long as I get to wake up to your face every morning, and crumble at your touch every night... What I'm saying.. asking, really.. is...."

Tifa gasped as he got on one knee. "..Tifa Lockhart, will you marry me?"

She took in his nervous face and trembling hands as he clutched the small box. He looked so undeniably hot, and was so in love with him, she found she couldn't speak at the moment, so she just nodded while tears fell down her cheeks.

At her nod, Zack let out a breath, and relief pooled through his deep blue eyes. He slipped the ring on, picked her up and spun her around while she laughed and screamed out "yes!" over and over.

He picked up one of the flowers and put it in her hair. "Just as beautiful as the day I met you." He whispered.

Tifa teared up and grabbed a fistful of his luscious hair to yank his lips down to hers passionately.

Neither of them noticed the rain begin to come down.

Yes, it was a great day after all.

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_Nice reviews are love :)_

_Again, so so so so so so sorry! D'oh! _


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII**

**A/N: I feel bad about not updating as much as I should be, so I wrote an epilogue for this cause I reread it, and felt that it didn't have a proper closure, so here you all are, thank you so much for making this story successful and for reviewing it! Enjoy!**

**Oh, P.S.- I am so sorry for not updating my other stories and making new ones, I've just been super, extraordinarily, unbelievably busy and combined with the fact that a certain anonymous person has been writing me really horrible messages and being very rude, not to mention the flames on my other stories, but I figured I don't really think they really matter, just you guys who like my work, so thank you to all my reviewers and fans of my writing, I love you all! **

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"Who knew you didn't know to tie a bow tie? Gaia, Zack, stop fussing!" Tifa sighed with a smile.

Zack ran a hand through his hair, and grumbled. "I feel like I'm suffocating! Can't I just leave it off?" He whined.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "No, now shut it or we're going to be late! Geez, it's a wonder how you managed to wear one throughout our wedding."

"I didn't have room in my mind to focus on a bow tie, I had the part about after the wedding to concentrate on." He winked suggestively, receiving a whack on his head. "Ow! I'm kidding... kind of, ow! Tifa, I know you're carrying my child, but could you make the hormones calm down a bit, they're leading you to become abusive."

Tifa giggled, and stepped away, admiring her work. "It's not the hormones causing me to hit you, dear, it's your stupidity. And as for not having a reason to concentrate, maybe the fact that you're Sephiroth's best man has escaped your tiny little brain."

Zack pouted and held a hand to his heart. "Ouch."

Tifa made to walk away, but Zack pulled her back and had her back pressed against his chest and rubbed her stomach lovingly. "I love you, Teef, you know that?"

Tifa closed her eyes and moaned as his lips lowered to the curve of her neck.

"Come on," he said, removing his coat, "We've got six minutes to spare before it starts."

Tifa's eyes snapped open. "What? No! I just got done fixing your tie, and getting my hair to be perfect! Besides, Aeris will kill m- mmph..."

-

-

At the alter, Yuffie gave Tifa a knowing smirk, receiving a blush from the older woman.

"Shut up," She whispered, as to not distract form the vows being read.

Yuffie just bit her lip to fight a giggle and looked at her friend's husband, whose bow tie was crooked and hair was disheveled.

She then looked over at her husband in the front row with their twins, Noel and Benji. Vincent caught her glance and his mouth curved slightly with a fire in his eyes. She knew that look, and she was counting the seconds until the 'I do's' were read so she could drag him into a storage closet and make him pay for the looks he was giving to her.

-

-

After hugging Sephiroth goodbye and congratulating him, Tifa hugged Aeris, who whispered in her ear, "If I hadn't had sex with Seph two minutes before your wedding in the back of the church, I'd have so been pissed at you!"

Tifa gasped and blushed. "Aeris!"

The newlywed giggled. "It's exhilarating, isn't it?"

Although still blushing, Tifa giggled and nodded.

They said their goodbyes and Tifa met Zack across the parking lot and hugged him, tiredly.

He rubbed her shoulders and kissed her softly. "Alright, let's head home."

Tifa nodded and kissed him again, but this time with more passion. "I think we can also have a repeat of earlier today."

Zack's eyes brightened and he rushed them into the car.

"But, let's get some food first," She continued, rubbing her tummy. "I'm famished."

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There you have it, the end, for sure now! Hope you all like it! Thanks again, and no flaming!


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